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Barack's Passage To India

What’s the benefit of this trip? is the overwhelming risk
worth the improbable net gain that’s being used as an excuse for this
multi-stop tour?

Eric Renderking Fisk - November 5th, 2010

I got a phone call this morning from one of our staff,
Doug Palumbo. One of his fellow coworkers at the day job told him about
a news item that’s being reported by many different outlets. The gist of
this item is how President Obama is planning to leave this week for India
in an air, land and sea caravan. That will consist of a few (40?) jets that will
include Air Force One that will contain himself, his family, his cabinet
and members of the press. There will be three naval battle groups comprised
of 31 battleships to defend the President and his entourage while he’s
in the same region of the world, and sleeping in the same hotel, that was
the center of a terrorist attack implemented by Al Qaeda.

It’s been reported that the price tag for this adventure
will be upwards to $2 Billion dollars, but that figure has been disputed
by FactCheck.org

Q: Is President Obama’s trip to India going to cost
$200 million per day?

A: This highly doubtful claim originated with one
Indian news agency quoting an anonymous source in Mumbai. The White
House says it is "wildly exaggerated," and there’s no evidence to support
such a huge figure.

There are a few concerns that I would like to have
addressed, some of them aren’t mine originally but I’ll take credit for
repeating them and being bold enough to ask here…

OK, let’s take it for granted that this is not going
to cost that much money… or if the trip is going to cost $2 Billion then
it’s for the whole trip which will include stops in China, South Korea and
Russia, which is the actual part of the itinerary. Or let’s just assume
that this trip is only going to cost half that $1 Billion. Or $500 Million…
or just $100 Million? No matter what the cost; is it worth it?

What exactly do politicians accomplish at these
summits? Besides sitting around each other in an effort to look stern
and important? Seeing the world leaders trying to look interested in
what the others are saying looks great for the camera and the idea of a
summit isn't one you can argue against. Would you rather have the world
leaders confab together in person rather than go to war? I know it's
hard to get a lot of people in a room and get them to agree on
something. Ever try to order pizza for a group?

The price tag of these junkets would be irrelevant
if I felt assured and confident that this would lead to an
accomplishment in the near future. Go ahead and spend “$2 billion” if it
means my sons have good jobs in the future and don’t have to die in a
war in the future that could be prevented today.

Second Issue, I heard that this is the third time this
trip has been planned. It’s the same itinerary each time. Can we really
be sure that this trip is going to be secure? Have we eliminated most of
the threats to a reasonable extent, and not just the coconuts from the trees
that grow along the path where Mr. Obama will be walking. How do we not
know that some of the places where our President will be haven’t been corrupted
by the same people responsible for the 2006 and 2008 bombings in that same
region?

Tell me if I got this wrong, kids.. did I hear correctly
that The Obama Family or members of their entourage will be staying at a
hotel that’s already proven that their security is lax because of the bomb
that almost destroyed it a few years back? Do I have the picture right?

Do a quick Google search… has there ever been an American
president who’s been Assassinated over seas?

Finally,
is this really the time for The President of The United States to go on
a junket after the party of his enemies- I mean opponents- just won a huge
victory by securing a majority in the house and half of the senate on a
platform of ending wasteful spending in government? People marched and paraded
on the issue of “no more wasteful spending” then a couple of days later
the President and gang go on a working vacation with 4 stops in exotic locations
with all of the tools, equipment and transportation needed? Is this really
the message they want to be sending with a trip like this? Even if it’s
not going to cost $2 billion, it’s still going to cost a lot of money. There’s
also the principle and the image seared into the minds of voters until November
2012.

For the Obama supporters, who don’t see anything wrong
with this, let me put it to you this way. Imagine we live in an alternate
universe were the white republican President Barry O’Brian was planning
on spending $2 Billion on a trip exactly like this this one. There are people
here in The United States who need that more than The Republican O’Brian;
Unemployment benefits are going to run out for many, there are people losing
their homes, programs like AIDS research are underfunded, roads and bridges
are in need of repair, the list goes on. Shouldn’t The Republican President
O’Brian be spending that money more wisely?

I almost forgot… since the government is paying for
the transportation and accommodations for the press, how can we get in touch
with The White House and get on board?